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Monday, 18 June 2012

Keeping the magic alive...

I've been lucky enough to have several trips to Walt Disney World and Orlando itself over the last 10 years, the longest gap between trips has probably been just over 2 years...and it felt like twice as long! After this year I imagine those gaps are going to become more frequent but they are the 'norm' for lots of other holiday makers! I know of several travellers who only go once every 3+ years and some who now have their own children and haven't been since they where once little ones themselves.

There is something about these trips that gets right under your skin, in a good way of course! Something that draws you back and it's something worth waiting for...but how do you keep that magic alive when you have 4-digit countdown? Here's a few of the things I do that keep me going!

Community

The Disney community is immense, larger than I could have ever believed. I'm a member on several active forums and daily answer planning questions from to-be travellers to Walt Disney World, from dining to itinerary suggestions, ride restrictions and 'help! I'm drowning in planning' pleas. Sharing my knowledge, ideas, touring plans etc rekindle all the feelings I have when it comes to planning my own trips and keeps my own pot of pixie dust pretty full! Another popular feature on most forums are the trip reports people post up and through these, I probably travel to Orlando in my mind at least twice a month! These trip reports are a great way to get ideas for your next trip, especially dining options!

An extension of the communities, there are some seriously awesome podcats out there that focus on Walt Disney World and the Disney company. Some are so dedicated they've turned it into a day job (of this I am very jealous!) and they are so well respected by both fans and Disney that they get some amazing 'access all areas' passes! My all time favourite has to be WDWRadio, run by the very talented Lou Mongello. One of my newest finds has to be Your MouseCast! I'll do a more thorough post on podcasts soon!

Books

Ok, this might be more for the 'behind the scenes' fans out there, those of us who like to know the nuts and bolts of what makes the world of Walt Disney World go round. There are some wonderfully crafted booked out there, rich in Disney history, not forgetting some well respected autobiographies on Walt Disney himself (An American Original by Bob Thomas is one of my favourites and has the backing of the Disney family, including a foreword by Diane Disney). Spinning Disneys World by Charles Ridgeway tells the amazing story of the Florida Project from a PR point of view, including the building and opening of Disneyland Paris!

I'll be back with some more creative ways to keep the magic alive later on!